Passive House Accelerator has announced that it will host its next Reimagine Buildings Conference on Friday, March 14.
The conference has been created to offer clear and practical advice for improving fire resilience in the built environment.
Presenters will offer real-world solutions, strategies and even specific products to help fire-harden properties and make new and existing buildings more resilient to fire.
Entitled `Designing for Fire Resilience’, the virtual event is designed to appeal to architects, engineers, builders and even homeowners.
Wildfire resilience has become critical for homes built throughout North America, hence why it is the focus of the next Conference.
Once a problem primarily for homeowners within the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), which is defined as areas of recent human development that encroach upon previously undeveloped land, wildfires are now affecting suburban and even urban areas.
Unfortunately, urban and suburban infrastructure is not designed to manage large-scale wildfires, especially when they are driven by exceptionally dry and windy conditions, as was the case in Los Angeles earlier this year. This clear pain-point is why Passive House Accelerator believe it will be an important area of focus.
Several cities have suffered a similar fate as Los Angeles within the last five years, including Marshall, Colo., and Santa Cruz, Calif.
While these cities need to be rebuilt, existing structures also need to be made more resilient through retrofitting and fire hardening techniques.
The `Designing for Fire Resilience’ Conference explores practical options for both new construction and existing buildings while also improving building efficiency and health through the use of Passive House principles.
Presenters will include:
Passive House Accelerator Founder Michael Ingui said: “Our presenters have been working to promote fire resilience in the built environment for years.
“Many of them have actually lost homes due to fires, so this is not just an academic problem that they’re trying to solve. They are emotionally invested in creating more resilient buildings to prevent tragedy and minimize the extent of damage caused by wildfires.”
Passive House Accelerator Director Zack Semke said: “It is very clear that the climate of the 21st century will be very different from the one we enjoyed in the past. Today’s climate is more volatile, more extreme, and less predictable than it was just a few decades ago.
“Our buildings need to adapt to reflect that reality, and we need buildings that are designed to be resilient given the new reality. This will require a shift in what the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry considers business as usual.
“Professionals within this industry will need to rethink how we design buildings, how we construct buildings, and how our materials choices affect the long-term viability of our projects.”
The `Designing for Fire Resilience’ Conference, announced by Passive House Accelerator will explore practical options for both new construction and existing buildings while also improving building efficiency and health.
Passive House Accelerator Founder Michael Ingui said the presenters speaking at the event have been working to promote fire resilience in the built environment for years, adding that some have actually lost homes due to the fires so they are emotionally invested in created more resilient buildings.
